BOOK BRIEFS

UNIVERSITY LECTURE SERIES TO FEATURE LITERARY TOPICS

UNLV's University Forum lecture series has two literary lectures scheduled for March. William Kittredge, author and producer of "A River Runs Through It"; Annick Smith, author and founding member of the Sundance Film Institute; and Greer Chesher, author of "Heart of the Desert Wild," winner of the Utah Book Award for Nonfiction" are scheduled to participate in a panel discussion titled Writing the West set for 7:30 p.m. today in UNLV's Barrick Museum Auditorium.

The museum also is set to host a presentation titled The Geometries of Fiction, 7:30 p.m. March 13. UNLV English Department Chairman Douglas Unger plans to present 3-dimensional computer graphics designed to represent reader responses to novels.

Forum lectures are free and open to the public. Visit http://liberalarts.unlv.edu/forum.htm or call 895-3401 for information.

RASHI'S DAUGHTERS AUTHOR TO VISIT MIDBAR KODESH

Midbar Kodesh Temple, 1940 Paseo Verde Parkway, plans to host Maggie Anton, author of the Rashi's Daughters trilogy, at the synagogue at 7 p.m. Thursday. The author visit and signing are open to the public. 454-4848.

PLANS IN WORKS FOR LAS VEGAS WRITERS' CONFERENCE

The Henderson Writers' Group-sponsored 2008 Las Vegas Writers' Conference is set for April 17-19 at Sam's Town.

For more information, visit www.Lasvegaswritersconference.com or call 564-2488.

LIBRARY DISTRICT TO PUT ON ANNUAL BIG READ PROGRAM

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District are teaming up again to encourage adults to read with The Big Read program.

For the second year, one book has been selected for valley-wide reading and discussion. Last year, residents explored "The Joy Luck Club." This year's book is "The Great Gatsby."

Signups begin April 1 at all library branches. A book festival is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 5 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Visit www.lvccld.org for details.

LIBRARY PUTS OUT A CALL FOR AUTHORS

Published authors living in Nevada are invited to participate in Clark County Library events.

To participate, fill out a registration form at the information table at any of the local author programs at Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

Events open to local authors include The Big Read Book Festival, the Local Authors Book Festival, the Meet The Authors monthly series and more.

The next Meet the Authors event, 6:30 p.m. March 26 in the library's Jewel Box Theater, is set to feature comedienne/freelance writer Cathe Jones and author/editor Jarret Keene in a program on writing about celebrities. For details, call 507-3458.

BARNES & NOBLE HOSTS A VARIETY OF BOOK CLUBS

Mornings with Mari Book Club meets at 10 a.m. the third Saturday of each month; the Best Book You've Never Read book group meets the second Sunday of the month at 7 p.m.; Our Desert Hearts book group meets at 7 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at Barnes & Noble, 8915 W. Charleston Blvd.

BOOKSTORE OFFERS WRITERS' GROUP ON WEDNESDAYS

Borders bookstore, has a writers' group at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, 2190 N. Rainbow Blvd.

CHAT ABOUT BOOKS AT SUMMERLIN LIBRARY

Join Book Chat Café members at the Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, 10:30 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month. Call 507-3860 for details.